Selective rotary printing machine for printing tickets and the like



July 8, 1969 F. HUBER 3,453,952

SELECTIVE ROTARY PRINTING MACHINE FOR PRINTING TICKETS AND THE LIKE Filed March 31, 1967 Sheet of 2 FIGI INVENT OR.

FRI TZ HUB ER 4 7"TORNEK5' July 8, 1969 F. HUBER 3,453,952

SELECTIVE ROTARY PRINTING MACHINE FOR PRINTING TICKETS AND THE LIKE Filed March 51, 1967 Sheet 2 of 2 EQWKV" V"? F'IGBa iTii FIG-3c l N VEN TOR. FRI 72 HUBER A TIUEME/i United States Patent 3,453,952 SELECTIVE ROTARY PRINTING MACHINE FOR PRINTING TICKETS AND THE LIKE Fritz Huber, Basel, Switzerland, assiguor to Guhl & Scheibler A.G., Basel, Switzerland Filed Mar. 31, 1967, Ser. No. 627,396 Claims priority, applicalltigisszvitzerland, Apr. 4, 1966,

rm. (31. B411 47/46; B41j 1/60 U.S. Cl. 10191 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to apparatus for printing tickets which are wound upon a storage roller.

Known apparatus of this type comprises a rotating printing mechanism, which consists of a printing cylinder for accommodating the text to be printed in the form of individual type letters, stereotype plates and/or the socalled adjustable type mechanisms. In addition, this apparatus includes a cooperating counter pressure roller, an inking device, and a device which brings the strip of tickets into the correct initial position for the start of the printing operation.

In the known constructions, the initial position of the printing cylinder for the printing of a ticket stands in a definite fixed relation to the device which brings the strip of tickets into the correct initial position before beginning the printing operation. There is only one selected sequence for the impression of the sections of text, the stereotypes and the adjustable type mechanisms for printing several lines, which sequence must remain unchanged since such apparatus for printing tickets does not provide for the interchangeability of printing cylinders which would allow the printing sequence to be varied. It is also possible in apparatus having permanently installed printing cylinders, to provide for variation of the printed impression, as for example, first the lower half of the first or leading ticket is printed and following it in succession the upper half of the second or subsequent ticket. Nevertheless this mode of printing produces only a slight possibility of variation so far as concerns the arrangement of the impressions upon the tickets.

In the present invention, though a single printing cylinder, it is possible to obtain different variants of the impression without the necessity of changing the initial position of the ticket. The apparatus according to the invention is characterised in that the printing cylinder can be secured upon its driving shaft in selectable initial positions by means of a coupling arrangement. The coupling arrangement can be in the form of a pin rigidly mounted upon the shaft and which can be engaged in a bore occupying a suitable position in the printing cylinder corresponding to the particular initial position of the printing cylinder or the first impression upon the ticket.

The invention will now be explained in the following with reference to a practical example and with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printing cylinder ice with adjustable type mechanisms, the printing cylinder being shown uncoupled with respect to its driving shaft;

FIG. 2 shows schematically the position occupied by the adjustable type mechanism producing the first printed line with reference to the tickets to be printed; and

FIGS. 3:: to 3d show various possible impressions obtainable by the printing cylinder fitted up as in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Rigidly mounted on the drive shaft 2 is a coupling ring 4. A coupling pin 5 is secured to the coupling ring 4 and extends from one of its faces in parallel relationship with the shaft 2. The printing cylinder 3 has an end face 7 directed toward the face of the coupling ring containing the pin 5 and has angularly spaced bores a, b, c, and d. The pin 5 and the bores a-d are arranged so that by simply pushing the printing cylinder along the shaft 2 in the direction towards the disc 4, the pin 5 may be brought into selective engagement with one of the bores. The printing cylinder 1, shown in FIG. 1, has three adjustable type mechanisms W W W and a type field S, and the adjustable type mechanisms and the type field S have the type characters corresponding to the printing desired on the label. The position of the bores a to d on the end face 7 of the printing cylinder are arranged to correspond with the respective positions of the adjustable type mechanisms W W W and the type fiield S.

The adjustable type mechanisms W W W are longitudinally extending substantially cylindrical bodies, each of which is arranged upon a central spindle 12 within a bore 6 in the manner shown in the FIG. 1. Disposed on the central spindle 12 are an outer centering component 13, a series of type discs 14a to 1421 having type characters formed on their circumference, which can be brought into the printing position by suitable rotation of the discs, and an inner centering component 15. The outer centering component 13 and the inner centering component 15 center and secure the components of the adjustable type mechanisms W W W bearing the type discs 14a-14n in the respective bores 6 in the printing cylinder. For the easy adjustment of the individual discs 14a-14n and their type characters contained on the periphery thereof, there are provided knurled discs 16a16n each of which is connected to a corresponding type discs by means of concentrically arranged hollow shafts (not shown) on the same longitudinal axis. A spindle, not shown, for the series of knurled discs 16a-16n is mounted in a bore, not shown, in the centering disc 10. The removable centering disc 10 is placed on a hollow shaft 18 which is axially coupled to the printing cylinder 1 and projects from the right-hand end face of the printing cylinder. The type field S makes possible the accommodation of individual type bars in so-called type channels 17 to form texts, or the accommodation of stereotype plates.

By displacement of the cylinder 1 to the left (in the direction of arrow A as shown in FIG. 1) until the end face 7 strikes the opposite surface of the coupling 4, the printing cylinder is disposed in rotation transmitting connection with the driving shaft 2, when the pin 5 is placed into selective engagement with one of the bores 6, and is fixed in position by the tightening up of a knurled screw 9 mounted upon the free end of the drive shaft 2. This shaft is itself connected, through a mechanism not shown in the drawings, to a feed pawl 21 shown in FIG. 2 reciprocally moving in the direction of the arrow B whereby the tip of the feed pawl 21 is adapted to engage the intermediate space 26 between adjoining labels which provides that the strip of tickets 22 supported on a conveyor 22a is brought into the correct initial position in the direction of the arrow B in relation to the beginning of the printing operation.

FIG. 2 shows schematically an operating position in which the pin 5 is engaged within the bore a and in which the feed pawl 21 has pushed the strip of tickets 22 below the type character row 23 on the adjustable type mechanism W in such a manner that this type row prints a first line in the correct position upon a ticket 24. The printing type characters in rows 23, 23, 23" on the respective adjustable type mechanisms W W W as well as the printing surface on the type field S are supplied with ink by means of an inking device schematically represented by a roller 27. A counter pressure roller 25 backs up that part of the ticket which is positioned below the line of printing type.

The printing cylinder 1 rotating in the direction of the arrow Z, see FIG. 2, and produces upon the ticket 24, shown in the printing position, lines of printing which as regards their sequence correspond to the adjustably positioned type elements in the type mechanisms W W and W and in the type field S. This sequence may be seen in FIG. 3a.

If the printing cylinder is positioned with the coupling pin 5 engaged in the bore b, then there will result a ticket impression according to FIG. 3b. The FIGURES 3c and 3d show impressions which result by locking the pin 5 in the respective bores c and d.

The adjustable type mechanisms W W W and the type field S, and their printing or transporting type rows, arranged for rotation in the direction of the arrow Z provide for the transportation of the ticket. As soon as the last line of a ticket is printed, the feed pawl 21 moves the next succeeding ticket forward into the correct initial position for the printing thereof.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for printing tickets, labels and similar items comprises a shaft member, a coupling member rigidly secured to and extending radially outwardly from said shaft member, a coupling pin attached to said coupling member and extending therefrom in the same direction as and offset from said shaft member, a printing cylinder movably positionable on said shaft and having an end face directed toward said coupling pin on said coupling member, the end face of said cylinder containing a plurality of bores outwardly from the axis of said cylinder and arranged to receive said coupling pin, said cylinder having a plurality of circumferentially spaced adjustable type mechanisms disposed in its circumferential periphery, a pressure roller having its circumferential periphery positioned adjacent the circumferential periphery of said printing cylinder, whereby said printing cylinder is axially movable along and rotationally about said shaft member for selectively engaging said coupling pin in one of the bores in its end face and when said printing cylinder is disposed in interengagement with said coupling pin and therethrough with said coupling member it is rotatable with said coupling member on said shaft member, and said printing cylinder being arranged to rotate past said pressure cylinder forming a printing station therewith whereby the printing sequence of the plurality of said type mechanisms rotating past the printing station during the printing of each item is determined by the bore within which said coupling pin is engaged.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein means are provided in said printing cylinder for adjustably positioning said type mechanisms.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,208,642 12/1916 Pitney 10191 1,343,511 6/1920 Kelly 101-110 X 1,905,526 4/1933 Swanson 10 1l10 X 1,921,327 8/1933 Schimmel et a1. 101110 X 1,991,511 2/1935 Lyman et a1. 101110 X 2,343,721 3/1944 Van Tuyl 101101 2,613,795 10/1952 Yutang 1971.1 2,825,279 3/1958 Gottscho 101-11O X 3,237,556 3/1966 Huffman 10 1-92 WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 101110 

